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TuftCon made its debut as the first ever tufting convention in March 2023. A three day event hosted over 100 people with a one of a kind line-up of guest speakers, demos, workshops, and more! Sponsored by Tuft the World.
The 2023 convention happened March 24-26, 2023. Hosted at both the Asian Arts Initiative and Tuft the World's Education space in the Bok Building.
Stay tuned for more detailed information on the next TuftCon!
We have an amazing line-up of Demos & Workshops which include both beginner and advanced tufting workshops, and demos on finishing your rug, building a larger tufting frame at home, using an AK-III and more. Our 5 hour workshops are a great way to get more in-depth knowledge and advance your skill set whether you are a beginner or advanced student. Want to pick up additional tips and tricks outside of our workshops? Attend various 30 minute demonstrations with master tufters and take advantage of this exclusive opportunity to ask questions and get feedback on your process.
Attendees are welcome to step out of their workshop to attend a demo.
As part of the TuftCon '23 program, we are thrilled to be presenting a juried exhibition that will open on Sunday, March 26 at Tuft the World's new location in the Bok Building. Submissions for the exhibition will be reviewed and selected by textile artist and guest juror, Qualeasha Wood!
We are thrilled to be hosting an incredible line-up of guest speakers at the inaugural TuftCon! Join us in welcoming artists and designers Trish Andersen, Jongbum Kim, Tonya D. Lee, AJ Peterson and Aliyah Salmon as well as Tuft the World's co-owners and founders, Tim Eads and Tiernan Alexander.
TuftCon presents an exciting array of educational lectures, from Color Theory to the history and future of Tuft the World, and last but certainly not least, a panel discussion on how to start and run your own Rug Making Business.
Tuft the World wants to empower people with knowledge on how to troubleshoot problems with tufting machines. We are taking this commitment a step further with our first-ever tech booth which will be open at select times on Friday and Saturday during TuftCon! Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity to ask one of our machine repair technicians your burning questions and learn about all the tools and tricks we use to fix common issues. Attendees can also bring in their Tuft the World machines for a free diagnostic.
If an in-depth repair is needed, leave your machine with one of our techs and we’ll bring it back to our headquarters for a proper in-house repair!
We can't wait to welcome Janna Savatgy, a self-taught textile artist and entrepreneur, as a featured guest artist at TuftCon. She'll be tufting a large scale detailed piece on site and will be available to answer your questions and share insight on her process and experience.
Tuft the World staff will be teaching both beginner workshops as well as the long awaited advanced workshop. We'll be hosting three lectures: Tonya D. Lee on Color Theory, Tim Eads and Tiernan Alexander on the Past, Present and Future of Tuft the World, and Jongbum Kim on Belonging. We'll have a panel discussion on starting a rug making business with Tim Eads (Tuft the World), Trish Andersen (of Trish Andersen Studio in Savannah, GA) AJ Peterson (of Magic Carpets in Los Angeles, CA), and Aliyah Salmon (independent artist), various demonstrations, live tufting with guest artist Janna Savatgy, and the opportunity to tuft a community piece designed by Aliyah Salmon. TuftCon will also boast an open tech booth for all of your technical needs and questions! The weekend will provide a platform to network and connect with fellow creatives, be sure to join us the first night for welcome drinks and mingling.
Our goal with TuftCon is to provide an inclusive education and community-focused experience for all kinds of artists and tufters. Most conferences like this are either supported by large institutions or run on student volunteer or underpaid work. We do not want TuftCon to be produced by exploiting the labor of artists or our own staff.We set our price in order to pay the speakers, teachers, guests and workers competitively for their time and talent. In addition, those who are able to pay full price are directly supporting our ability to offer student discounts, and a number of free tickets for people who cannot otherwise afford to come. We are also thrilled to support, by way of location rental, the Asian Arts Initiative, a multidisciplinary arts center focused on the power of art and community.
We will be happy to provide a refund before March 21st, 11:59pm est, after that time, we will not be able to process returns, thank you for understanding.
TuftCon is a 3-day convention. Join us on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 at the Asian Arts Initiative, and on Sunday at our new education center in the Bok Building. Learn more about the schedule here.
